Yearly Archives: 2013

WOOL – Silo Series 1-5

Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1) (Wool, #1-5)

WOOL by Hugh Howey

***Note, this is a secular title.

Can you imagine living hundreds of feet below the earth with your people, having no contact with the outside world?

That’s the premise of WOOL, a five-part series about large group of people who live underground in their home, a SILO. The SILO is huge, several hundred feet beneath the earth and the population makes their living by doing a host of jobs: machinery (to run the electricity in the huge underground home), agriculture, cafeteria worker, etc. These people live without contact with the outside world – they have little knowledge of what lies beyond the great door leading outside.

However, being below ground for decades can cause strife amongst people. Some get depressed, curious about what lies beyond those underground walls. Sensing their fate of death, they volunteer to “clean.” This means they are suited up, sent Outside, and when they’re sent out, they clean the SILO window, giving the people a clear view of the outside. The suit does not hold up under the strife of the outside world – so people are sent to die – both voluntarily, and non-voluntarily. The non-voluntary cleaners are those who create strife in the SILO, firing up the people, giving them all sorts of forbidden ideas that go against the Pact.

One SILO worker, Juliette, who works in the Mechanical department is particularly strong and courageous. Her life takes an interesting twist after a certain man is sent to clean.

This is a sci-fi title (I don’t read many of those). I kept hearing about this book in my writers’ circles so I felt that I should read it. I was NOT disappointed. I LOVED this  book! Although the plot mesmerized me, I still felt there were a few things that were not fully explained – like, what happened to make the world unlivable beyond those SILO doors? A couple of the characters talk about this briefly, but, I was still left wondering. Is the entire world unlivable outside of the silo?

So, could you imagine living hundreds of feet below the earth with your people, having no contact with the outside world? How would  those living conditions affect your mind?

 

 

Sunday Brunch – Would You Follow Jesus?

Jesus healed the sick, he made the blind see and he made the lame walk. Let’s pretend that you were born during Biblical times, if you were alive back then, and you witnessed Jesus doing his miracles, would you believe? Would you accept Him as your Savior?

I’ll be honest, if  I were living during Biblical times, I’m not sure if I would believe if people told me about Jesus. I could imagine myself being skeptical, thinking that people were exaggerating about Jesus’s healings. However, seeing is believing. If I actually saw somebody being healed, I would believe. I could also imagine myself believing if I encountered the blind man (or somebody like this) described in John 9 (quoted below). If I’d seen this man, blind since birth, before his healing, and then encountered him after he’d been healed…well, I’d be stunned, shocked, and then I’d fall on my knees, praising my Savior!

So, if you were alive while Jesus walked on this earth as a man, would you have accepted Him as your Savior? Would you believe?

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

John 9:1-12 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

Claire Knows Best by Tracey Bateman

Claire Knows Best (Claire Everett #2)

Claire Knows Best by Tracey Bateman

Has your home ever been damaged by a natural disaster?

In this slightly humorous book told in the first person, Claire Everett’s life gets more chaotic when a tree falls on her house during a storm. She must uproot her family and relocate to another home while her house is getting repaired.

In the meantime, Claire tries to make sense of her chaotic life. A divorced mother, she’s dating Greg, a hunky man who has a leadership role in her church. When Greg announces that he wants to become a pastor, Claire freaks out – she’s NOT pastor’s wife material.

Meanwhile, she struggles to raise her children while living in their temporary home while she pens Christian romance novels.

She also struggles with her feelings of animosity towards Darcy, her ex-husband’s new wife. Darcy is pregnant, and she struggles to make Claire love her as a friend. Can Claire put her animosity towards Darcy aside?

I enjoyed reading this novel. I also liked how the heroine was divorced. I don’t see many divorced women in Christian fiction nowadays. I also felt that the problems that Claire faced were extremely realistic. Teenagers and younger children are hard to raise, and having to do it without the help of a live-in husband is a something that many Christians face. Overall, this was a light, enjoyable read.

I read the first book in this series, Leave It To Claire, awhile ago.

So, has your home ever been damaged by a natural disaster? How did you cope? Where did you live while your home was being repaired?

Childhood Favorites – From The Blog Archives

What are your favorite childhood stories? Which books really resonated with you?

If you know me very well, you’ll know that I LOVE READING! It’s one of the few things in my life that has been constant from early childhood until now. When I think about my time as a kid, I think about some of my favorite books. I’ve listed A FEW of them here, but, as I think about it, I’m sure there are others:

1. The Dick And Jane Series – Actually, I don’t consider this one a “favorite” but, these books kind of stay in my mind because these are the books that were used to teach me to read. I just remember the joy of being able to string words together and to actually read an entire book aloud!

2. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House Series – I read these books over and over again. I really enjoyed seeing these characters through the pages of these novels! The family went through lots of trouble in the wilderness and Laura had lots of struggles with her nemesis, Nelly Olsen. There was also a popular TV series on in the seventies that was based upon the characters in the Little House books. I watched most of the episodes of Michael Landon’s series, too.

3. The Boxcar Children – A group of four orphaned children hide out in an abandoned boxcar to escape the care of their “evil” grandfather. The rest of the series focuses on their being raised by their grandpa and the adventures they faced. I read this entire series a couple of times I believe when I was around nine or ten?

4. The Nancy Drew Mysteries – the originals. I read the original Nancy Drew mysteries when I was in the fifth grade. I was mesmerized by this courageous, smart, 18-year-old woman who solved mysteries and…she didn’t accept payment for her services. Her mother died when she was three and she was raised by her lawyer father, Carson Drew and her housekeeper, Hannah Gruen (sp?).

5. Heidi

6. The Secret Garden

I recall reading Heidi twice and I believe I read The Secret Garden more than once. Both of these stories involved ill children, struggling to get well. In Heidi, she lives in the mountains with her grandfather, the Alm (sp?) Uncle and there’s a shepherd boy named Peter in this story too. Heidi loves to read and I recall her reading to a blind woman in the story. I believe this book took place in the Swiss Alps. Also, there was a little girl in a wheelchair, but I can’t remember her name. My memories of The Secret Garden are a bit sketchy, but I recall the garden served as a solace to a sick child as the youngster struggled to get better. I believe there was a boy named Dicken? in The Secret Garden?

So, what are your favorite childhood stories? Why were they your favorites? Have you read any of the stories that I’ve listed above?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Should Christians Drink Alcohol?

 

Image courtesy of John Kasawa at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Is it wrong for Christians to drink alcohol? Over the years, I’ve found that many Christians have mixed views about drinking. The Apostle Paul warns us not to get drunk with wine in the book of Ephesians:

Ephesians 5:17-18

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,

At a wedding at Cana in Galilee, Jesus and his Apostles attended. When they ran out of wine, Jesus miraculously turned water into wine:

John 2:3-9 

When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”…Nearby stood six stone water jars…Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

I wonder why Christians have such conflicting views about drinking? Many Christians consider having a glass of wine, or a beer, to be a sin – yet, some Christians drink wine during communion, and Jesus may have served his Apostles wine during the last supper – the fruit of the vine:

Matthew 26:28-29

28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Also, the Bible advises drinking wine to help with stomach problems and illnesses:

1 Timothy 5:23

23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

I do believe it’s wrong to get drunk, and, if you’re prone to alcohol addiction, then, you should not drink at all. But, I’ve heard some ask – how much is too much? How does one measure how much to drink?

So, what’s your opinion? Is it wrong for Christians to drink alcohol? I’d be interested in hearing the responses to this thought-provoking question. Leave a comment!

***My e-book, Milk Money, is only 99 cents! Download it now before the price goes up! :-)

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

Never Say Never by Victoria Christopher Murray

Never Say Never

Never Say Never by Victoria Christopher Murray

Your best friend has an affair with your husband – could you forgive them?

That’s the question which created the catalyst for this novel. Miriam is grieving – her firefighter husband (Chauncey) has recently died in a fire and now she’s a single mom, forced to raise her three sons alone. She clings to her sister friends, Michellelee and Emily, hoping their love and support will help her get through this difficult time.

She also turns to Jamal, Emily’s husband, for support. Jamal and Miriam share a similar pain. Miriam’s husband, Chauncey, was Jamal’s best friend. The two were as close as brothers, and both were firefighters – so Jamal has lost his “brother” and Miriam has lost her husband. Both need to find a way to get through this difficult grief. They turn to one another for comfort – and that’s when their affair starts…

I enjoyed this story. Like all of Victoria Christopher Murray’s books, it was a page-turning novel, and I thought the characters were very realistic. Although both Miriam and Jamal were grieving, I still felt that they could’ve worked harder to resist temptation. Miriam feels bad about hurting Emily, and Jamal loves his wife. However, he just couldn’t resist the temptation – the grief seemed to make both Miriam and Jamal especially vulnerable.

Honestly, I doubt if I could forgive my best friend for such a deception. I know the Lord wants us to forgive, but…I think it would take me a LONG time to forgive my best friend, if ever.

So, if your best friend had an affair with your husband, could you forgive them?

***My e-book, Milk Money, is only 99 cents! Download it now before the price goes up! :-)

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

Blackberry Crunch – A Recipe

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
This recipe is really good and simple. I used fresh blueberries (instead of blackberries), and it was still good. I’d imagine that you could use just about any fresh, pie-type fruit (apples, berries, etc.) and it would still taste good!
Have you ever made a recipe that’s similar (or the same) as this one? If you make this, leave me a comment and let me know if you liked it.
2 cups fresh blackberries (or blueberries)
2/3 cup brown sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
5 tablespoons butter softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In 8×8 inch baking pan, combine blackberries and lemon juice together. In a separate bowl blend, flour, oats, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over berries. Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Enjoy! 🙂
Let me know what you think about this recipe!

***My e-book, Milk Money, is only 99 cents! Download it now before the price goes up! :-)

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

Congrats To The Christy Award Winners!

Join me in congratulating the 2013 Christy Award Winners. For a complete list of the nominees, see my Christy-Award 2013 Nominees Blog Post.

Contemporary Romance/

The Breath of Dawn

by Kristen Heitzmann (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Contemporary Series, Sequels, and Novellas

You Don’t Know Me

by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)

Contemporary Standalone/

Not in the Heart

by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)

First Novel/

Into the Free

by Julie Cantrell (David C Cook)

Historical/

Flame of Resistance

by Tracy Groot (Tyndale House Publishers)

Historical Romance/

Against the Tide

by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Suspense/

Rare Earth

by Davis Bunn (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Visionary/

 

Soul’s Gate

by James L. Rubart (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

Young Adult/

Child of the Mountains

by Marilyn Sue Shank (Delacorte Press, a division of Random House)

Congrats, again Christy winners! 🙂

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

***My e-book, Milk Money, is only 99 cents! Download it now before the price goes up! :-)

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~Cecelia Dowdy~